►Mythology: “Charon, Ancient Greek God of The Underworld”:

Charon (Χαρων) was the son of the primordial Gods Erebus (God of Darkness) and Nyx (Goddess of Light). The name Charon means ‘fierce brightness’ in Greek, and the Roman´s equivalent was Charus.

He was the ferryman of the dead, an underworld daimon (spirit) in the service of King Haides. He received the shades of the dead from Hermes who gathered them from the upper world and guided them to the shores of River Acheron.

The Acheron was also known as the River of Pain that flowed from the Styx and believed to carry pains intended for mortals back to earth. It also carried the good souls from the Underworld that were sent back to earth to be reincarnated as mortals.

Those who had not received due burial and were unable to pay his fee, would be left to wander the earthly side of the Acheron, haunting the upper world as ghosts.

Although Hermes might have taken the souls of the dead to the banks of the river for free, Charon demanded his fee.

From there Charon transported them in his skiff to a final resting place in Hades, the land of the dead, on the other side.

The fee for his service was a single obolos, a coin a silver coin worth a sixth of a drachma, which was placed in the mouth of a corpse at burial (It was known as Charon´s obol).

People who are unable to pay the fee are doomed to wander the shores of the river for a hundred years.

Since most Greeks, understandably, did not want to wander in the mists and marshes, they buried their dead with coins to pay the ferryman; this tradition is still retained in many parts of Greece.

Living people who want to visit Hades must also pay the ferryman.

Given the fact that they needed two trips, Charon charged significantly more, and several myths and stories indicate that visitors to Hades payed with a golden branch to cross the river and then return.

In the catabasis mytheme, some heroes – such as Heracles and Dionysus- travel to the Underworld and return, still alive, conveyed by the ferry of Charon.

Several Greek and Roman authors wrote about traveling to the Underworld, usually with the assistance of an experienced guide.

Dante, for example, wrote “The Inferno”, and “The Aeneid “by Virgil also features a trip to the Underworld.

Nyx, the goddess of darkness, was the mother of many of the Gods related to death and darkness. Some of them were the result of her union with Erebus.

The family members and genealogy of Charon are detailed in the following family tree, providing an overview of the relationships between Charon and some of the principle Greek gods and goddesses of death and the Underworld.

♠Moros was one of the primeval gods who was a son of Nyx was believed to be the mother of everything mysterious and anything that was inexplicable, such as death, disease, sleep, ghosts, dreams, witchcraft and enchantments. His father was Erebus, who reigned in a palace in the dark regions of the Underworld.

♠Momus was the Primordial Greek god of blame, censure and criticism.

♠Eris was the goddess of Discord, quarrels and feuds.

♠The Fates were three goddesses who were sisters.

Their names were: Klotho (Clotho), Lachesis and Atropos.

Klotho spinned the thread of life, Lachesis determined the length of the thread and Atropos cut the thread when the proper time came for death.

♠The Furies (Or Erynies) were three goddesses who avenged crimes against the natural order.

They were the three goddesses of vengeance: Tisiphone (avenger of murder), Megaera (the jealous) and Alecto (constant anger).

♠The Keres, or “Death Fates” were ‘scavengers who defiled the deads.

♠Hypnos was the god of Sleep who also brought nightmares to mortals.

♠The Oneiroi were Hypnos´ sons and were all gods of dreams: their names were Moorpheus, Icelus, and Phantasos (They were also cousins of Charon)

♠Oizys was the goddess of distress, anxiety and worry

♠Geras was the god of loathsome Old Age.

♠Epiphron was the daimon, titan, or god of prudence, shrewdness, thoughtfulness, sagacity, leadership, and carefulness

♠Nemesis was the avenging goddess of Divine Retribution.

♠Hecate was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon and ghosts.

♠Thanatos was the God of Death, the hard-hearted, pitiless, enemy of mankind

♠Aether was the Protogenos (first-born elemental god) of the bright, glowing upper air of heaven – the substance of light

“As Hades ruled the dead, he forbade any to leave and if anyone attempted to breakout or someone tried to steal one of the dead back, he threatened them. Heroes Herakles, Odysseus, Aeneas and Theseus were the only ones who entered the underworld and managed to escape”… Read More.

We is your elected Purrime Ministerettes of Planet Purrth serving all anipals except snakies!

We no has meows to express how HONORED we are that we was nominated for awards. We believed we was already award-winning enough, but da luv just won’t stop and we very happy and thankingful.

Inner pees is very impurrtant. We has the bestest inner pees after nomming a great white sharkie.

We thanking Cat Almighty in Heaven for creating great white sharkies!

All pweeze keep paws crossed as daddie went to Ukraine today! He diplomat for da Foreign Affairs and he there wiz four other diplomats, and we been giving him tips as for how to get inner pees in Ukraine!

Your knowledge of mythology is astounding! I so love reading your interpretations of the stories you tell. They’re truly meaningful to me and to our modern world as well. Thank you for nominating me for this amazing award. It’s a new one for me and I’m very grateful. I do have several others I’m working on so it might take me a while to do it but I will. Congratulations to You too for receiving this great award. You certainly do deserve it for all the work you put into your blog posts. I always enjoy reading your work. 🙂
Thanks again,
Peace,
Steve

Thanks for your kind words… I truly believee taht blogging is such a great way to exchange knowledge and thoughts… Those are my personal insights on topics I may find of interest . So when someone likes my posts It really makes me feel well.

As to the four awards nomination, you deserve it .. Your blog is uplifting and creative… I love gardening!
And , by the way, I will ask you for further information if I ever decide to built a greenhouse. okay?. Deal done?…

Well there you have it – the underworld is a complex place! Maybe it makes my family issues seem easier?! Hehe. But seriously it is a really well-crafted blog post and I learned a lot about Charon. Too bad I didn’t get an award for Poetic Parfait though. Take care, Chris xo

Aquileana, Impressive research, art and writing. I didn’t know the meaning of Charon before. Usually he’s just an extra in a story about someone else. He’s an interesting guy. Have a great weekend!! Brenda

Aquileana, this is so interesting. Metaphorically speaking, Charon could symbolise human’s guilty conscience. The guilt experienced as having made ‘wrong’ or ‘unforgivable’ decisions in life, demand a ‘fee to be payed’. Yet is it really so? When I read about how Seneca in his tragedy ‘Hercules Furens’, Charon tells Hercules to halt, but the Greek hero uses his strength to gain passage, overpowering Charon with the boatman’s own pole, makes me think rational minds have the strength to ‘overcome’ guilt as Charon demands. I also read about Hermes as a ‘psychopomp’. In Jungian psychology, the psychopomp is a mediator between the unconscious and conscious realms. It is symbolically personified in dreams as a wise man or woman. This may include not only accompanying the soul of the dead, but also vice versa: to help at birth, to introduce the newborn child’s soul to the world. Can you further explain Hermes’ role as a ‘psychopomp’ and how ‘psychopomps’ came about?

Heracle’s 12th labour was to capture Cerberus, which in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed (usually three-headed) dog, or “hellhound” with a serpent’s tail, a mane of snakes, and a lion’s claws. He guards the entrance of the underworld to prevent the dead from escaping and the living from entering. Heracles found Hades and asked permission to bring Cerberus to the surface, to which Hades agreed if Heracles could overpower the beast without using weapons. (Symbolic eh?) Heracles was able to overpower Cerberus and proceeded to sling the beast over his back, dragging it out of the underworld.

Here are some quotes by Lucius Annaeus Seneca: “Successful and fortunate crime is called virtue”; “The first art of a monarch is the power to endure hatred”; “Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember”. How do you think the Roman account of Heracles differs from the Greek?

I knew about Heracle´s 12th labour but not the specific details. Thanks for adding the myth here…
Firstly I would say that this is one of the excepcional cases in which a heroe that “travel to the Underworld and return, still alive, conveyed by the ferry of Charon” (as mentioned above in the post).
As to your questions I think that probably the main difference is that in the greek myth, Heracles had to accomplish a task without using weapons, which would entrain without draw upon violence…
Meanwhile, those quotes by Seneca might be subtly read as a call to weapons and / or violence.
Seneca enacted most of the most commonly accepted ideas of the cynics philosophers, so maybe he was being a little bit extreme and rad with those quotes.
By the way I found that ““The first art of a monarch is the power to endure hatred” could have been written by Machiavelli in his masterpiece, “The Prince”, ( Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli)

Yes, I know those quotes by Seneca were violent and cynical; yet they represent an ‘overcoming’ of having to pay for the sinful deed, or ‘guilt’ demanded by Charon, by simply using one’s own inner and (outer strength as exemplified by Heracles), a person is able to ‘overcome’ this demand for guilt and remorse. So the Greek one is the less violent, thanks for clarifying that.

“The cynics represent an ‘overcoming’ of having to pay for the sinful deed, or ‘guilt’ demanded by Charon, by simply using one’s own inner and (outer strength as exemplified by Heracles), a person is able to ‘overcome’ this demand for guilt and remorse”.

You are the one you have perfectly clarified this for me.

As to the cynic approach it sound like a sort of
precedent of the idea of ​​Christian guilt.
Not only God punishs but also the inner conscience does…

“One of the most well-known psychopomps, Hermes is the ancient Greek trickster god who acts as a guide and messenger between the heavens and the underworld. He is also known as Mercury in Roman mythology”.

>As to your question regarding its definition here is an interesting one

A psychopomp is a guide, whose primary function is to escort souls to the afterlife, but they can also serve as guides through the various transitions of life.

>As to Charon as a psychpomp, it may be corerct as among other characteristics and functions we find number one which perfects apply to in his case

Psychopomps are generally:
1) adept at guiding others through such transformative experiences as death
2) experienced border crossers and walkers between the worlds
3) tricksters who will do whatever is required to achieve their goals
4) shapeshifters who can change their appearance to match the setting and the times

Aquileana, this was intriguing and nicely done, as always. I especially liked reading through the list of names and their meanings. By the way, Zoetic suits you since you’ve obviously got a lot of vitality to put together such highly detailed posts. Thank you for honoring me with these generous nominations.

As Italian, I am well acquainted with the mith of “Caron dimonio, con gli occhi di bragia” as we study both Dante and Virgil at school. However I ‘ve found very interesting information here and I really appreciate your accuracy. A presto.
Stefy
🙂

Hello Dear Aquileana, very enjoyable and interesting post! I’m reminded of book 10 of Homer’s Odyssey, http://www.theoi.com/Text/HomerOdyssey10.html
where Odysseus pilots his own ship to Hades, not having to deal with Charon, probably because Charon is only ferrying dead people, lol, and Odysseus must go in and come back out alive:
[503] “So I spoke, and the beautiful goddess straightway made answer: `Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, Odysseus of many devices, let there be in thy mind no concern for a pilot to guide thy ship, but set up thy mast, and spread the white sail, and sit thee down; and the breath of the North Wind will bear her onward. But when in thy ship thou hast now crossed the stream of Oceanus, where is a level shore and the groves of Persephone —tall poplars, and willows that shed their fruit—there do thou beach thy ship by the deep eddying Oceanus, but go thyself to the dank house of Hades. There into Acheron flow Periphlegethon and Cocytus, which is a branch of the water of the Styx; and there is a rock, and the meeting place of the two roaring rivers. Thither, prince, do thou draw nigh, as I bid thee, and dig a pit of a cubit’s length this way and that, and around it pour a libation to all the dead, first with milk and honey, thereafter with sweet wine, and in the third place with water, and sprinkle thereon white barley meal.
I Love this stuff! Thanks so much for another wonderful post and for sharing with us your interests and your answers to the awards, Congratulations! And thanks so much for nominating me, too! ♥♥♥ ;^)

So at the end, Odysseus made It through and was able to go the underworld and return back safe…. Well seen, how wouldn’t he have succeded if not for being a hero?
As to the nomination, you so deserve It!, no Wonder why you are awesome!!
Happy sunday and Hugs to you,
Aquileana 🙂

Thanks a lot for dropping by to take a peaka and comment. Hopefully you will be able to get a deeper approach on Greek Myths and Philosophy. It would be my pleasure to become your go-to person in that sense.
Best wishes, Aquileana 😛

One hears of dysfunctional families but the Nyx progeny are the absolute benchmark of this cohort. But was Charon a daemon or an official from some Mythological Sanitary Dept. bringing order to the necessary disposal of human remains? (and even throwing in some thoughtful and novel ritual). Yet another interpretation is given by the Argentinian/Irishman Chris de Burgh in his song ‘Don’t pay the Ferryman’ – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kNwvIEQsg0

I commend you on yet another earnest and contemplative analysis. Thank you Aquileana.

I am honored to read your witty words, once again…
Thanks for dropping by to read and comment. I really appreciate it…

As to Charon´s genealogy, well I give you that: Nyx & Erebus children are not the best examples of behaviour, arent´they?…
But neither were their parents I guess.
As you have well said, they were a very dysfunctional family which would beat all the other possible contestants.

((Note that there are also some shiny sons in the family that don´t seem to fit well with the Dark roots of the progeny. I am making reference to: Epiphron, Aether and Hemera> See their description above on the post for further details))

As to the song by Chris de Burgh it is absolutely great … I learnt its moral: Don´t ever pay (Charon) the ferryman in advance”.

“Whatever you do /Don’t pay the ferryman
Don’t even fix a price/Don’t pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side”

I find I’m learning quite a lot from you posts. I immediately recognized the name Charon since I knew that was the name given to Pluto’s moon. I just never bothered to think what that was a fitting name.

As a matter of fact when you search charon in the web most of the results are related to Pluto’s moon.
Jeri I am the one who learns a lot from your posts. By the way I loved your comment back to me in the pantoum “Grandpa Red”. Thank you.

What is it about these tales residing in the age old mists of mythology that continue to charm? Tales which would have passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth, ballads and verses. Could it be that in each of these tales, a learning exists, a learning that remains relevant even today?

Yes, I believe that there is an undeniable message which lays underneath those myths and legends.
They usually tend to explain us human behaviours and to give us a directive or moral.
I believe that these are two of the reasons that might explain why they remain alive still nowadays.

I was fascinated in reading this post… And loved the Map of the underworld journey.. I can see how many traditions stem from these ancient teachings.. like putting pennies on the eyes of the dead… Although to be honest burying them with coins I had not heard of… yet its always thought good luck to give a newborn a silver coin…
Its the art work that always holds me in its spell….
Many congratulations in your awards again dear Aquileana… I hope the month of May is full of delightful joys your way..
Blessings Sue xox

Hello Sue, my dear blogger friend.
I am really happy to read your comments. How nice that you took time to stop by here to read and drop some lines…
Your insights are rich as alñways… You always bring me new details or things. As such for instance I didn’t know that giving a newborn a silver coin gives him or her good luck…
As to the Map of the underworld it was the big hit over there, as most readers knew Charon´s myth but not further maps on the geography of Hades
Much obliged to you, Sue. Best wishes,
Aquileana 🙂

The ‘burying with coins on their eyes’ must be the ‘charm’ of the myth and therefore what nurtures traditions and folklore in so many countries. Just recently I posted about the ‘myth of orchis’, but it’s really just a myth with a lot of charm, which is only ‘speculated’ to have existed because of the ‘dismemberments’ the Maenads were known for. Aquieleana, and please correct me, the ‘myth of orchis’ is just mere speculation as to why orchis was believed to the youngest satyr as depicted in the Greek painting. In what piece of literature is Orchis really mentioned as such? It’s just a myth derived from many studies and speculations from observing these Greek paintings. And thanks to Aquielana, I’ve been able to learn all this.

I have done a little research on Orchid´s myth as I didn´t know too much until I read your post the other day.
The only specific source I have found as to Literature is Petronius´s “Satyricon”. (At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyrion )

Orchidaceae get their name from the Greek ὄρχις (órkhis), which literally means “testicle”, a nod to the naughty nub shape of their roots.

In Greek mythology, Orchis was the son of an ugly nymph and a satyr who came upon a festival for Dionysios deep in the woods.

Liking his fermented grapes a wee bit too much, he overindulged on wine then tried to have his way with a priestess of Dionysios. As a result the Bacchanalians tore him limb from limb. His grieving father prayed to the Gods for him to be restored.

Not that keen on men who assert themselves on unwilling young women, they turned him into a flower instead.

Orchids came from the word “Satyrions”, from their connection to satyrs. It was believed that orchids were the food of the satyrs, and incited them to excesses. Satyrion is also an a name for ragwort and ancient aphrodisiac made from it. Though it may have been named after the nymph, it more likely derives from the mythical and lustful satyrs. This aphrodisiac is mentioned twice in the Satyricon of Petronius.

Update: Theophrastus in his book “De historia plantarum” mentioned orchids and also did Dioscorides

The word orchis, from which the whole family received its name, was first used for this purpose by the Greek philospher Theophrastus (c. 372-c. 287 B.C.), a pupil of Aristotle. Theophrastus is sometimes referred to as the father of botany. It wasn’t until 300 years later in the first century A.D. that orchids are mentioned again, this time by Dioscorides, a Greek physician in the Asia Minor, who collected information on medicinal plants while serving as surgeon in Nero’s Roman army.

Both Theophrastus and Dioscorides described the tubers of the Mediterranean orchis to resemble testicles, and therefore the hypothesis was formed that the plants influenced sexuality

You pinned it! I bookmarked that page. Thanks! Also, apparently the word ‘satyrion’ was also used to denote orchids, see here:http://bit.ly/SFB8i0
Why the botanist coined the word ‘orchis’ and but then ‘satyrion’ appears afterwards could perhaps be what is called an ambiguation, which in botany there are several. ‘Satyrion’ is an old form, and is no longer used.
You are right, orchid blooms are associated with female organs as are most flowers in general.

All is clear as regard to Satyrion’ (as you said an old form, no longer used).
As to the fact that orchid blooms are associated with female organs as are most flowers in general…
It seems quite paradoxical then that Orchid’s myth is liken to male sexual organs…
Orchids, like most flowers and according to the attached image may be hermaphrodite…

Trying to link all of this to the myth of Charon, I see the immortals were spared from death altogether. Apparently a ‘metamorphosis’ in Greek mythology could mean some sort of punishment in the sense that when they did something wrong, they would lose their human form but still remain alive.

Hi María.
I agree with your thoughts as regard to metamorphosis’ s meaning… As a matter of fact, punishment is involved in It and that’s also Ovid’ s interpretation … By the way there are many metamorphosis in which a god or goddess become a tree or a flower… I’ ll give It a peak and will let you know later today. Enjoy your saturday, my friend, Aquileana 🙂

I have to read more of your blog. I think you did touch on this subject as how this was a form of reincarnation. Yet the way I learned it and perhaps the ‘western’ way (without punishment) was that a ‘metamorphosis’ was actually like some form of ‘rebirth’, probably alluding to the mature stage of an individual, something actually positive and rewarding. Perhaps the connotation of the word changed over time.

Maria ♥ ,
Yes, it is certainly a good way to interpret it… There are so many layers to reveal…
As far as I know you know quite a bit of Eastern Philosophies… so we can exchange knowledges
I really enjoyed your post on Water Lilies and Lotusses.
That was a remarkable one, my friend.

Hi Maria…
Yes, as far as I read the orchid genus is related to the genus ‘Satyrium…
But as the site says> “Other species with helmet-shaped flowers e.g. Aceras, Chamorchis and Platanthera, often were included in the genus Satyrium, but far from belonging in the same genus, they no longer are included even within the Satyriinae, but within the tribe Orchideae”.

Thank you for stopping by at my blog so that I could find yours! I have to learn more about Nyx, I thought I had my Greek mythology down pretty well, but… Alas, I find myself running into names that I can’t remember! Hope you’re having a great week 🙂

I think that we tend to forget the plots of the books or movies. The same thing happens with myths.
But, once we have re-read their very beginning , we remember the whole story!…(It is what it is, my dear.)

Aquileana,Dear ! It seems I visit your posts to study them,not simply to read them !!! Superb work,well-organised and presented with incredible details !
You have successfully unlocked recent memories from one of my trips to the place,not the Lower World … , to the place where the river Acherondas (Acheron ) and Hades … and Tartarus silently flow carrying in their crystal clear waters myths,facts and phantasy … Of course,I didn’t meet Cerberus,the 3-headed hound,I didn’t meet the son of Helios,Acheron,but I was intensely contemplating on Homer’s poems where the river Hades is described,and on Plato’s Phaedo where Socrates looks into the soul after death …
Loved the Geneology board you displayed,where most of the names/words are used in the everyday Greek language.,nowadays.
NYX = nycta= night … , Hemera=hmera=day ,Oneiro=dream ,Geras,Thanatos, Eris ….. lovely words with most extended meanings …

Aquileana, your site is a delight to visit. The texts are learned, erudite and entertaining and the accompanying visuals not only appropriate but hugely stimulating. I’ve spent the past while here lost in a fabulous world. Thank you for all of this.
My best to you

Another wonderful post. Aquileana! I knew little about Charon, only that he was employed by Haides, and his work description:) but knew nothing about his genealogy. Thank you for this knowledge! Hope you have a pleasant week! Hugs!

I’m catching up before reading your latest posts so I can understand them better. There’s always such a wealth of knowledge in your posts. Charon’s family tree is most interesting. When now I use the word hypnosis or morphine, I’ll think of those Greek gods.

Very clever insights dear Irina…
That family tree on Charon’s family helped me understand many other posts and relationships between Gods and Goddesses as well
Best wishes and thanks for dropping by,
Aquileana 😛

I didn’t actually know until I saw the map, that the Elysium Fields of the underworld of Hades were located near the river Lethe, when in “The Seasoning of Willow Elysia”, I wrote the line “Elysium’s Dream-Seasoned Ambrosia Amnesiacs, love-drunk on Hades’ hazy-laced Lethean-rivelet”.

And I love the word Obolos, Charon’s price to cross the river. I may use it again soon, I have before, in my cryptic poem “A Pirate’s Prayer”. It’s similar sounding to the Lobolo, known as the bride price in some cultures, which is known as a dowry in others.

I knew you would like this one because of the map and the Family Tree.
I totally agree with you regarding the word obolos and its meaning related to the “price we have to pay to tarvel to the Underworld domains”…
You’ll see that on further greeks myths like Persephone’s and Adonis’ the Greek Gods travel to Hades. Persephone’s case is interesting as she is abducted by Hades!
Also the same happens with Psyche and Euridice… They travel to the Underworld. Psyche to accomplish some tasks ordered by Aphrodite and Euridice being rescued by his lover Orpheus. Which link should I add… Okay I’ll choose this one: https://aquileana.wordpress.com/2014/06/05/greek-mythology-orpheus-and-eurydice/ You take a peek whenever you want… I am now going to read your poem!.
Best wishes my friend !, Aquileana 😛

Yes, you were right! I don’t know why but I am fascinated with they mythical underworld, I’m so glad you have written and shared so much on it, I am like a student and you are the professor 🙂

I have been reading some of Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Sonnets to Orpheus” (He has over 50 of them) this year, and it will be interesting to find out more in depth background on Orpheus! I will read the post oh him and Eurydice after I respond to your other comments! I’

Hi Ryan1… And did you enjoyed Rilke’s poems? … I guess the problem with the german poetry is that we lose a lot of the senses when it is translated …
German goes better with translations on Philosophy I would dare to say.
Have you read Holderlin?… I will have to suggest you a post over here on a book by Heidegger regarding Poetry. Will do that in the next future!.
Best wishes and thanks a lot for dropping by, Aquileana 😀

You are right, a lot is lost in translation! That’s why when I read the Sonnets to Orpheus, I read two different translations of them at the same time! They are so good, and so different from my sonnets. I tend to make the lines very long in my sonnets, where as Rilke’s are quite short. It’s just the style I decided to make mine in sonnets, part of a change of style as I’ve written a lot of haiku and tanka poems that have short lines.

As you are smart and seem to know at least a little about paintings and flowers, you may pick up on the reference to the effects of foxglove, which Vincent van Gogh used medicinally, which influenced his paintings!

Thank you very much for dropping by!. I am really pleased to know that you liked the post and that you enjoyed reading about the different cultural versions concerning afterlife…
Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀

[…] the words Lethe or Elysium are often used as metaphors for the underworld or Hades in general. Charon was the ferryman of the dead, in the service of the underworld domains of Hades. He received the […]

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[…] This would lead the Olympians in a ten-year war against the Titans, before driving them defeated into the pit of Tartaros. Many years later, Zeus released Kronos and his brothers from this prison, and made the old Titan king of the Elysian Islands, in the Underworld. […]

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